Death's Dance
by Perseus20
Summary: A month has passed since Akira went into hiding and Alyx returned to Camp Half-Blood. Now, she is dealing with feelings of guilt and doubt as she thinks of the upcoming battles and her camp. The people of both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter have noticed her staying away from them, and now it is up to the Next Seven and new friends to help her get back on track. Rated T. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome to the third and sadly the final book! Thank you to the viewers that have encouraged me in my writing and the friends who have given me hope. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is allowed, but flames will be ignored._

 _I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter One**

The sounds of metal on metal filled the arena, sand crunching under boots. Sweat dripped off of tan skin, the sun beating down on the two swordsman's hard.

Alyx swept her leg under Isaac's legs, making him yelp and fall.

"I win again! Alyx: 20, Isaac: 0."

It had been a month since the whole ordeal with Akira and the others being kidnapped, and everything had sort of went back to normal. Alyx managed to convince Chiron to let Rei stay at Camp Half-Blood, even after they found out about his tail and ears. She just thought it was cute when they popped up. She freaked out everyone when she grabbed his tail and started stroking it, which made him make a really weird sound (that made every adult and some of her friends very uncomfortable) but she thought it was just funny. Sure his face turned red and he started to pant, and she just assumed it was sensitive.

Anyway, Carlos, Liam and Harper confirmed that they were coming to Camp Half-Blood for the summer, which meant Charles and Silena were coming as well. Carlos would have nightmares of the Gladiator Games and of being slave to Akira so he would wake up in the middle of the night and call her in the middle of a panic attack. Alyx would calm him to sleep, sometimes singing to him or telling him stories from her day. He would relax when she would tell him the days left until he would be able to come. But was worrying her was the no contact from Liam. Alyx had given him a monster proof phone yet she hadn't heard from him at all.

At least Harper, Carlos and Liam would arrive tomorrow, so some of her worries could diminish. The other worries, like Akira suddenly reappearing and declaring war, the others being kidnapped, or her new siblings being kidnapped. Ace and Ebony were a month old, their eyes open and _very_ active. Ebony slept all day, and then was up all night. Ace was up all day, and then slept all night. The day after Carlos and Liam left, the gods called them up to Mount Olympus. After introducing Ace and Ebony to Poseidon and Athena, the gods gave their blessing, before getting to important matters after ogling over the babies. Alyx told them her encounters with Akira's monsters, introduced Rei (who was cowering a lot and hid behind her most of the time), and how she met Carlos and Liam. She didn't reveal their identities, casually mentioning they were descendants of demigods, but not of the grandparents. After she had finished her story, the gods told them they would be in close contact with their allies.

Isaac patted his face and neck with his towel before taking a sip of his water, panting.

"How did you get so damn good?" He asked, making her shrug.

"Practice." Alyx replied, capping Riptide. She went over and picked up her towel and water bottle, before starting to leave.

"I'm going to go take a shower. I'll see you at dinner."

"Okay, see you."

Alyx liked how their friendship was. They fought a lot, but were best friends in the meantime. She trudged to the Poseidon cabin, smiling at everyone in high spirits, since it was the last day of school and camp activities would begin tomorrow. It was Friday tomorrow, meaning Capture the Flag.

After she had returned and the twins had been born, everyone was cheery, yet cautious of _her._ She didn't blame them, since she did that weird bringing back the dead loved ones thing, but she didn't even know how she did that. It was a moment of contentment and she just really wanted to see Jax and Luke and… Well everyone. She loved hearing the happy cries from the campers, hearing her mom cry at the sight of Luke and everyone else who had been lost in the wars. Alyx reassured everyone it was just a weird thing that she did out of contentment, but everyone told her it was heart strengthening to see them again.

Alyx stepped into her room, looking around for Rei. After convincing Chiron to let him stay, Rei pleaded to stay with her in her cabin since he didn't feel comfortable anywhere else. So they rearranged her bedroom. Her bed now faced the opposite wall instead of by the windows, Rei's cot sitting high for the sun to come through. Her desk and dresser stayed the same.

Sighing, she flicked the light, seeing movement under the blankets on his cot before his hands poked through, followed by his head, his hair messy and his ears twitching as he blinked to adjust to the light.

"H-Highness?" He asked sleepily. Alyx didn't mind being called highness, and even after telling him repeatedly not to call her that, he continued to do so anyway.

"Hey. Sorry to wake you." He yawned, his ears folding back in the process. She smiled and threw her towel in the hamper, then set her bottle on the desk.

"It's okay…" He started to sit up but she waved at him.

"Go back to sleep. I'm going to take a shower before the sword training class." Rei blinked but nodded and settled back down, pulling the blankets over just to his neck, laying his head on the pillow, his ears twitching cutely. Alyx grabbed some clothes and headed into the bathroom. She rinsed off, got dressed and stepped back into the bedroom, looking at Rei with a soft smile. She quietly walked over, scratching behind his ears, making him smile and purr. Ever since coming up from Tartarus, his hair that had almost been white, turned a lovely light blond. His ears and tail were the same color, not to mention his skin looked darker.

Alyx grabbed Riptide and headed back to the arena.

* * *

She patted her face with her towel on break, listening to everyone's stories during her missing. Piper and Jason's kids, Ashe, Heather and Shauna, happily sat on the bench while telling stories of school and camp. Ashe, who was in fifth grade, Heather, who was in fourth and Shauna, who was in second, told stories of what they did for Valentine's Day and Halloween or other events. Several times, Jasper and Phillip tried pulling them away, but Alyx insisted on letting them speak.

"And then this boy from my class hit the other kid and made his nose bleed!" Ashe said, slamming her fist into the palm of her hand. Alyx laughed.

"Reminds me of Dad when he was younger." She saw him twitch by the weapon rack, looking over and glaring. Alyx simply gave him a smug smile. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Jasmine there, fidgeting. Her daughter, Fleur, a sweet, dark skinned, green eyed baby sat in the carried, sucking on the pacifier, looking at her with big green eyes, but Jasmine didn't share the same look.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Something is wrong with Rei."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Turns out Rei was simply going through a period of… Alran things. Will discharged Rei into Alyx's care and she took him back to the cabin, gently laying him on the bed and locking the door for his privacy. She made sure he had water and told her parents that if he was whining ignore him. Then she headed back to the arena to help Chiron with archery.

"Everything all right?" He asked while she put down her phone.

"Yeah, Rei is just going through some…" She tapped her finger tips together. "Um…"

"I get it, I get it." Chiron chuckled. Alyx pulled up her hair, stretching and pulling on her archer glove. "How are you feeling, my dear?"

"Fine-" She looked up to see his eyes. "Oh, you mean that feeling… Fine. I feel good, actually."

"No nightmares?"

"Nope."

"Your body…?"

"Perfectly fine." She patted his arm. "I'm doing just fine, Chiron. Thank you for asking."

"Alyx! Alyx!" She turned to see Ashe waving her bow. "Liam is here!"

* * *

They trudged to the Big House, where Liam was with her dad and mom and Will. He held an ice pack to his forehead and pulled it off while Will attended to a nasty gash on his forehead.

"-Stupid monster came out of nowhere. It was wearing red and white, like what the snake was wearing last month." Liam was telling her dad. "I think it was sent by Akira."

"Yeah? Why's that?" His dad asked.

"Because that's part of his plan." Alyx said, all four looking up.

"Please stop doing that." Will hissed. "You freak me out when you do that."

"Heh." Alyx replied, smirking before crouching in front of Liam. "You said that you would be here either early or tomorrow. Why did you come one day early?" She noticed how pale and sad his eyes were, not to mention how his body was slumped.

"May I talk to Alyx privately?" Liam asked.

"Of course." Her dad said, all three getting up and going off. None were in earshot. Alyx moved to the step beside him, laying her elbows on her knees.

"Everything okay?"

"My mom told Artemis."

"Yeah?"

"After she came home she told me to come back down. Said that she'd try to convince Artemis to let me live…" He bit his lip as tears welled up in his eyes. "I-I'm worried, Alyx…"

"It's Thalia Grace…" She whispered. "She'll be perfectly fine…" He hiccupped and buried his face into her neck, making her hug him tightly.

"If something happens, I promise I'll make sure Artemis hears from me." Liam tried to laugh, but it was cut off by another hiccup. She patted his back. IT was quiet for a moment while he trembled and cried a bit.

"Did you know the Alran species go through a period of heat?"

"Heat…? Like cats and dogs?"

"Yup."

"And Rei is going through that…?"

"Yeah… I'm making sure no one goes in or out."

"So he needs someone…?"

"I think he's fine." Liam chuckled and pulled away, wiping his eyes tiredly. "You should get some sleep. Head to the showers and get some fresh clothes. The others should arrive in about two hours." Liam nodded.

"Okay…"

* * *

After she helped him with his stuff, she went back to the arena where Chiron was finishing up the archery lesson. Isaac was helping him, in place of her.

"Alright, class! Thank you for participating! Don't forget that we have Capture The Flag tomorrow night, so don't forget to greet your fellow campmates from school tonight. And don't forget your after stretches!"

"I think they get it, sir." Isaac said, chuckling a bit. Alyx patted the kids' heads as they passed by, and headed to their area.

"How's our guest?" Chiron asked.

"Taking a shower. I'll show him around once he's done." Chiron nodded, frowning.

"I see. Go ahead and take a break, dear. You look like you need it." Isaac snickered, making Alyx glare at him as she walked away.

* * *

After a long welcome and a delicious dinner, she took a shower and got in bed. Rei was sleeping, even though he panted and whined in his sleep.

She picked up her phone and snuggled against the pillow, turning it on and pressing the message from Carlos.

 _Call?_

She pressed the call symbol and waited as it rang. He answered and popped up on her screen, his curly hair pressed against his head.

"Oh, look, an angel has appeared on my screen." Carlos rolled his eyes.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" He replied.

"Eh, he doesn't mind. He knows I'm handy." Carlos chuckled.

"Pearl and I are leaving first thing in the morning." He said.

"What about your parents?"

"They're finishing up some stuff here with the house and business. Mom got a place to rent for her salon and Dad's transferring to the shop in New York. We bought a house in your neighborhood."

"Oh?"

"Yup! Harper is heading to camp first thing in the morning, so please don't be irritating."

"When was I ever irritating?" He glared. "Okay, okay."

"Thank you." She chuckled.

"Did I tell you Liam arrived?"

"Yeah?"

"Mhm. He's really shaken up. His mom told Artemis, and told him to come down to camp where it'd be safe because Artemis was ready to gut him like a deer."

"Fun."

"Yup." Carlos closed his eyes.

"What'd you do today?"

"Took care of the twins, sparred with Isaac and Luna, made sure Rei didn't melt- did you know Alrans have heats?"

"They do? Like a cat?"

"Yeah. I was surprised."

"That's… Weird… And you're in the same room…?"

"He's sleeping." She glanced at his cot. "Besides, he's too loyal. He said he would never harm me." Carlos nodded and shut his eyes, making her smile a little bit. "Get some rest, Carlos… I'll see you tomorrow."

"M'kay… I miss you here…"

"Oh, I'm sure you do." He gave a glare before relaxing.

"Goodnight, Alyx…"

"Night, Carlos… Sleep good, okay…?"

* * *

The sounds of baby cries filled her ears as she opened her eyes. She sat up and scratched her neck. Rei's ears twitched.

Well, if there were baby cries that meant the twins were back from Grandma's house.

"H-Highness…?" She got out of bed and walked up to his cot. His ears were flattened to keep out the noise, obviously very bothered.

"I know. I'll go quiet it. How are you feeling?"

"A-Awful… I-I need something to… To…"

"To what-oh." She blushed a bit and scratched her head. "I'm… Sure someone has something…"

* * *

After she greeted her parents and soothed the twins, took a shower and got dressed she headed out. She knew just the place to go to. Afterward, to the Mess Hall for food.

She went to take a bite of her waffles when Annie came up.

"Miss Harper is here."

* * *

Alyx followed Annie to Thalia's tree, where Chiron, Clarisse, her parents and Jason and Piper were greeting Harper.

"Hey, nice for you to join us." Clarisse said.

"'Nice for you to join us'." Alyx replied, giving a slight glare. "I was interrupted from eating. And no one interrupts my eating." She looked at Harper and then at the two girls behind her. "Who are they?"

"This is Camille and Sai Lin." Harper replied. "They were claimed last night."

"Oh? By who?"

"Hephaestus and Apollo."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

"Ages 10 to 17 with Chiron, please. 18 to 20 with me." The kids eighteen and under walked with Chiron to the other side of the arena.

After dropping off Harper's bags at the unclaimed cabin, dropping off Camille's and Sai Lin's bags at their respective cabins, they headed to the arena. There were two hours left until Carlos and Pearl would arrive. The others (Hank, Fiona, Jasper, Phillip, etc.) would arrive at noon. Liam was helping out her parents around camp, so she had some stress taken off her shoulders. But now she had to brief the new campers on the basics of the summer.

Her group consisted of Camille, Sai Lin and twin boys, Tony and Tim. And she loved the scared looks on their faces once she pulled off her jacket. Her tattoos never ceased to make people stare, and her scars did the same thing. She kept her hair style like Thalia's, and every time the side got long, she'd get it cut, and trim her ends, too. But she never faltered in her training.

"Why isn't she participating?" Tim (or was it Tony?) asked, pointing at Harper, who was on the sidelines.

"Yes, why aren't you participating, Harper?" Alyx asked, crossing her arms.

"Why should I? I have training already."

"Because you are a newbie here at Camp Half-Blood. You need to line up now."

"No." Camille and Sai Lin looked away, wincing.

"What was that?" Alyx asked quietly.

"I said no."

"Oh boy." She heard Isaac mutter to Luna. Chiron sighed, shaking his head. Alyx stared at Harper, which made her nervously shift, but Harper tried to keep it at bay, staring back at Alyx.

Alyx took a breath, slowly walking toward her, her boots barely even making a noise on the sand.

"You have been protected your entire life." She said quietly as she walked toward her. "Carlos has faced numerous obstacles that you have yet to face. You may have been in Tartarus, but that was only because I needed your help in getting your brother back. He's been in an explosion, kidnapped more than once and has gotten sick. He spoke highly of you, but I'm having second thoughts."

Harper gulped as her silver eyes stared into her blue ones.

"So what?" She asked, resisting her stutter.

"So I hope you understand that I am a veteran, sweetheart. I know a lot more than you ever will."

"Alyx." Chiron warned.

Alyx ignored him.

"You may be older than me, sweetheart, but I'm way more experienced. Now, get in the stupid line and stop your goddamn whining." Harper resisted a whimper and quickly got in line next to Camille.

"Alyx."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved. "I'll go." She grabbed her jacket and left.

* * *

Alyx sighed shakily and stroked the pendant in her hand. The cool soothing water relaxed her, washing over her feet. There was a nice cool and gentle breeze that hit her face and gave her that relaxed feeling. She looked down at the pendant.

 _"Here."_

 _"What is this?"_

 _"It holds the rest of your power." Alyx blinked._

 _"The rest?" Nyx and Akhyls looked at each other awkwardly._

 _"When this pendant breaks, it will release anything you have not mastered into your body. However, you must prepare your mind so the dark power doesn't overwhelm your mind."_

 _"Well, that's reassuring." She looked at it. "And if I break it…?"_

 _"You will know when the time is right."_

Alyx held it close to her chest, closing her eyes and taking a breath.

"I knew I'd find you here." She looked over her should to see Liam on the hill, smiling softly. She stuffed the pendant in her shirt and smiled at him as he came down, plopping down next to her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I went to the arena to see how it was going and saw that Isaac was conducting. I asked Chiron and he told me you exploded on Harper."

"I didn't explode." She replied.

"I see." He replied. "Then why did you yell at her?"

"Because she's a stuck up little brat! She reminds of me of Drew in her teenager years!" Alyx moved forward, splashing the water with annoyance. "Carlos talked high about her but all I see is a brat who thinks she's amazing at everything…" He nodded.

"Well, Carlos is coming. Talk to him and ask him what to do. You always seem to relax with him around." Alyx relaxed a bit and gave a short nod, laying her head on his shoulder.

"So, who do you think you're gonna marry?" He gave a choked laugh, startled by the question.

"What?"

"Come on, you're twenty three now, you're going to have to find someone eventually." He sighed.

"I don't know… Since I've never met any girls before, I just… Don't have that appeal, you know?" She pushed away and stared at him.

"Don't have that appeal? Dude, you're handsome, smart and funny. Plus, you've got this cool little black spot on your head." She said, giggling and playing with it. He squirmed and swatted her hand away.

"Leave it alone. It's from Mom." Alyx smiled and pushed her hair back behind her ear.

* * *

Alyx scratched her neck, putting aside a book and stretching, watching children run around and laugh, their parents watching. She sat on top of the hill, under Thalia's tree, Peleus under it as well. New campers were being shown around by counselors, some of them young, some of them in their college ages. Camille was being shown around by Nyssa and Sai Lin was being shown around by Lulu, the head of the Apollo cabin, which was surprising since Wally could've done it. Harper and Isaac walked around, Isaac introducing her to people and showing her around. Liam was helping Chiron with chores, and Mr. D had returned, but she hadn't seen him at all.

Speaking of her friends, she hadn't seen them at all. They were supposed to arrive last night, but after asking Piper and Jason, they said that they wanted to sleep one more night at their house before coming.

To be honest, she thought they were trying to avoid her. After all, she did hurt them in a lot of ways. Stabbing Hank in the hand, shooting Phillip in the shoulder, then taking them all down… Plus, she was sure they were jealous of her newfound friendships with Carlos and Liam, especially how close they were when they stayed for a week after they arrived at camp. And it's not like she wanted to be kidnapped and have her memory taken, nor did she want to forget about Hank and everything he'd done for her.

 _"I only remembered your mama's name when I got my memory taken."_

 _"Really? Why?"_

 _"Because she's my soulmate and I love her. She's the most beautiful, kind, smart and powerful woman I've ever met."_

 _"I hope to find love like you and Mama!"_

Her eyes watered.

Oh gods, why? Did she not love him as much? Even after all the crap they went through together? And the way they grew up together and spent almost every second with each other and she still didn't remember anything about him when she was amnesic? His smile was the only thing that got her through Tartarus, but she didn't have anyone like her parents did. Her father's loyalty was the only thing that got them through, and her loyalty to Hank and to her family and Camp Half-Blood also made her persevere but she felt awful that she couldn't even remember his gorgeous gold eyes or his beautiful, soft curly hair… How did she never remember?

"Alyx!" She was snapped out of her thoughts, turning her body to see Pearl waving her arms. She stood, sliding down the hill and extending her arms.

"Hey, you!" She said as she grabbed her into a hug. Pearl laughed and wrapped her legs around her waist.

"Carlos told me you got your memory back." Alyx smiled and poked her nose.

"Yes, ma'am. Where's your parents?" Pearl pointed, and she followed to see Charles and Silena by the cab, staring at the hill in fear. Alyx let down Pearl and walked over.

"Hey." She said. Silena broke out of her trance and hugged her tightly.

"Ooh! Carlos told me!" Silena cupped her face. "I wondered why you looked so familiar."

"To think that you're a daughter of a now legend." Alyx smiled.

"Where's Carlos?" She asked.

"Asleep. He had a long flight and couldn't sleep last night."

"I see…" She shook her head, clearing her throat, going to the door. "I'll get him." She opened the door to see him curled up against the door, sleeping soundly. She smiled and pulled him out, putting him on her back. He moaned and released a sigh. After they got their luggage, she led them up the hill.

"Welcome back to Camp Half-Blood."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

_Hope you all like this chapter. Please R &R! _

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Charles and Silena gaped in awe, obviously shocked by the progress and difference of the camp. Carlos slept soundly and didn't budge, and she let them have a moment of peace before they were badgered with questions. She saw how much nostalgia they had in their eyes, longing as well. Silena slipped her hand into Charles, looking a bit scared.

"Ready?" Alyx asked. The two looked at her and nodded.

Alyx smiled and started down the hill.

* * *

Of course, just as she expected, they received stares, like they were staring at ghosts. Then again, they did think that they had been dead for twenty three or so years, so she didn't blame them.

Chiron was the first to step forward.

"Charles? Silena? Is that you?" He asked softly. They smiled, tears welling up in their eyes, waving.

"Hi." They were swarmed with hugs and cries of joy, the Hephaestus and Aphrodite cabin showering them with kisses and hugs, a couple of Demeter kids coming up and placing flower crowns on their heads.

Alyx smiled and slipped away, Carlos still on her back.

* * *

Alyx trudged to the cabin, climbing the stairs and then opening the respective room, stepping in, shutting the door and heading into his bedroom. She slowly slid him off her back, gently laying him on the bed. He wore a t-shirt and sweats, so she just slipped off his shoes, pulling the covers over him, stroking his hair.

"Don't forget we have Capture the Flag tonight." She whispered and pecked his forehead. He smiled stupidly in his sleep, cuddling into the blankets and pillow.

* * *

The breeze lapped at her face, the fresh smell of the ocean wafting into her nose. The sun was at its peak in the afternoon, but there was shade so it didn't bother her. Besides, Tartarus was worse.

Alyx sighed, swinging her feet, her toes touching the water, lifting her head to the sky.

 _"My, what a beautiful baby! She looks like you two!" Aphrodite squealed, gently touching the baby's cheek. Alyx giggled and squealed, grabbing her finger and kicking her feet._

 _"What's her name?" Athena asked, her eyes wide at her new grandchild._

 _"We decided Alyx." Annabeth replied._

 _"Protector of humanity?" Artemis asked. They nodded._

 _"Alyx Perseus Jackson." Percy added._

 _"It fits." Poseidon said. "Can I hold her now?" Annabeth nodded and slowly handed Alyx over, Poseidon softening and staring at her with wide eyes. Alyx returned the face._

 _"She is quite beautiful." Zeus said gruffly. "I have to admit, you two do make a cute baby." Percy smiled and rubbed Annabeth's hand._

 _"Do you mind if we give her our blessings now?" Apollo asked impatiently. "I really want to bless her!" Artemis kicked him._

 _"Shut up." She hissed. "Be patient." He crossed his arms. Annabeth took her back, gently laying her in the bed that Aphrodite had made for this purpose. Alyx looked around curiously._

 _"Grandparents first, then the rest." Poseidon and Athena stepped forward, the others making room. Poseidon cleared his throat._

 _"Alyx Perseus Jackson, daughter of the sea and war, I grant you the gift of the power of the sea. Use your powers for good, using the waves to your benefit." He gave a warm smile as he laid something in the bed._

* * *

A couple hours passed and she roamed the forest, sometimes finding nymphs around, waving and smiling at them. She came out of the forest to the Big House, staring at it slightly. She heard the faint sounds of people laughing and grunting when playing volleyball, and people milled around, showing Charles and Silena around. Piper and Jason's kids had taken in Pearl, showing her around.

"Whatcha doing?" She jumped and turned, seeing Fiona with a spear, leaning against it.

"Hey, Fiona." She replied casually, before blinking. "Oh, hey!" She hugged her, making her laugh a bit.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" Fiona asked, eyeing her. Alyx shrugged.

"Just thinking." She replied. "You know, going through the forest and stuff…" She awkwardly scratched her cheek. "When'd you guys get in?"

"An hour and a half ago." Fiona gave her an even more squinted look. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, why?" Fiona frowned.

"Because you seem different." Alyx shrugged.

"Must be tired. Are you excited for Capture the Flag tonight?" She asked. "I haven't played since last summer." Fiona furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why didn't you play in the past month?" Alyx shrugged.

"I guess I didn't feel like it. Besides, I didn't want to interfere because they all had their teams and seemed more confident in their team."

"I see…"

"Anyway, I'm going to go check on Rei. See you at dinner! Also, introduce yourself to Charles and Silena." Alyx gave a smile and slipped away.

* * *

Fiona glared at the ceiling, her mind wheeling. Sure, it's nice having Alyx around again, but she seemed distant, like she was trying to avoid them. The week before Carlos, Liam and Harper left, she caught Alyx in the lake in her swimsuit, her body revealed. All of the tattoos and scars were too many to count. She seemed relaxed in the water, her face peaceful, but…

"Damn, what'd the ceiling do to you?" She flicked her eyes to see Isaac in the doorway, his eyebrow raised. Fiona sat up, looking at her hands.

"Nothing, just thinking."

"About Alyx?" She flicked her eyes up at him.

"How'd you know?" He sighed and sat down on the edge.

"Because I've been thinking about her as well." He shut his eyes and sighed. "I'm really worried about her." Fiona smirked.

"Oh? Isaac, rival since day one, is concerned about Alyx Jackson?" He glared, making her snicker. She moved next to him.

"Yeah. I'm worried. She's been… different. Ever since she got back from your first quest, and being kidnapped and brainwashed… She's not like herself anymore and it… It kind of scares me."

"Why? What's she like?"

"We were sparring yesterday, and she is totally different in her swordplay. I mean, when she was battling Akira I noticed, but up close like that…" He shivered. "It's different and it scares me." Fiona frowned and sighed.

"Well, I guess we'll see how she is tonight. She said she didn't play Capture the Flag the past month because she didn't want to interfere. Is that true?" Isaac stared at the wall.

"Well… I guess I noticed her on the sidelines, but she was busy with the twins, so I just assumed she didn't want to join because of the twins." Fiona frowned.

"That doesn't sound like Alyx…"

"I know, right?" Isaac sighed.

"I guess… I guess we'll see tonight?"

* * *

Fiona secured her armor then walked over to Gray, who was going over the plan with the Red Team. He looked miserable; big pregnant belly, tired eyes and exhausted breaths.

"Alright, everyone!" They turned their attention to Chiron, who was smiling widely. "I am sure everyone here is excited of the return of Charles and Silena, who now are married and have three children." Everyone applauded.

"And another on the way!" Silena added, patting her stomach. Harper looked at her with wide eyes in shock, her hand over her chest.

"What?"

"Oh, Carlos didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Whoops." Chiron chuckled.

"Anyway, tonight it will be our first time doing three teams. Blue, Red and Silver."

"There's a third team?" The two teams chorused. Chiron smiled and stepped aside, revealing Alyx, Carlos and Liam, dressed in all black, their hoods on and their masks on. They were silver headbands, to signify their team color. If they weren't paying attention, they could've been mistaken as Hunters.

But their eyes gave them away, sharp and unusually bright, like wolf's eyes.

"Shall we play?"

* * *

 _"Every team will have defense, but the objective is to capture the Silver Team's flag. The Silver team may have defense, or they may not. However, they will be on the offensive side as well, so keep your guards up!"_

Liam looked around, his eyes sharp. His hands played with his cube nervously.

His mind couldn't get off his mother or Artemis.

 _"Honey, baby…" He nuzzled her hands, tears pricking his eyes. "You have to leave. I don't want you to get hurt._

 _"B-But you haven't even told her yet!"_

 _"I know, I know. I'm supposed to meet her at a meeting in like an hour, and I'm going to tell her. I just don't want you to get hurt."_

 _"M-Mom…" She kissed his forehead._

 _"Please, go to Camp Half-Blood. Tell Alyx, and if I show up, everything is fine. If Artemis shows up, then it's not." He sniffled, tears falling from his eyes._

Liam was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard crunching below. He looked down to see Fiona and Isaac, talking quietly. For Ares children, they weren't very quiet.

 _Hey, Alyx, do I take out anyone who is going toward our flag?_

 _Duh._

 _Right._

He stood up slowly and hopped across to the next tree, shaking the branch a bit to rustle it and let them look. They looked up, and he came down, landing in front of them and swinging his leg, taking them out. Then he pinched the spot on their shoulders and made them pass out.

Hm.

Perhaps they could get this game after all.

* * *

Carlos hummed softly, pulling his ring off and on. After he returned to San Francisco, after a really long and restless flight, he caught a cab back to his house. It was evening, around six or so, so they were probably having dinner. When he got to the door and rang the doorbell, Pearl answered, excitedly squealing and yelling to their parents that he was home. He told everything, excluding getting sick and getting blasted and being slave to Akira, but eventually he told them about Alyx. His mother had squealed so much his ears hurt.

But of course, last night after he fell asleep after his and Alyx's call, he had nightmares after nightmares. Hopefully tonight he could sleep better.

Carlos looked down to see Caleb and Wally walking under, but they stopped. He narrowed his eyes to see where this was going…

Until Caleb pinned Wally to the tree, shaking it a bit and causing him to steady himself, and he looked down. Caleb slammed his lips to Wally's, making him melt, wrapping his arms around Caleb's and moaning.

 _Hey… Um… Alyx?_

 _Yes?_

 _What do I do when two people are making out under my tree?_

 _Um… You still take them out. Why? Who is making out under your tree?_

 _Caleb and Wally._

 _I knew those two had something going on… But yeah, go ahead._

He watched as Caleb slowly moved his hands down, tugging on Wally's pants.

"You know, there are plenty of empty rooms in the unclaimed cabin and in the infirmary." The two froze, slowly looking up at him. He stood and fell down behind them, sweeping his legs under theirs and knocking them down. They fell with a loud thump and he tied them together.

"There." He said, then moved to another tree.

* * *

 _Thump._

 _Thump._

 _Thump._

 _Thump._

Holy Hades, why was her heart pounding so much? Because she hadn't played this in ten months? Or because of her anxiety that'd she would lose her control?

Alyx slowly crept behind Jasper and Hank, who were guarding the blue flag. They were making short conversation but also looking around.

"How's your hand?" Jasper asked.

"Good, she has really good aim so they told me she nicked a few vessels." He waved it.

"That's good… Have you talked to her yet?"

"No… I only saw her at dinner and she was talking to Charles and Silena and her… Her…" He looked down. Jasper nodded, reaching and patting his shoulder.

Alyx threw a binding rope, tying their hands together, causing them to gasp. Before they could let out a warning, she covered their mouths and pulled them back, making them yell muffled into her hands. She cast a sealing spell on their mouths, made them tied together then ran and grabbed the flag.

Alyx grinned as the Blue Team ran after her.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

_Hope you all like this chapter. Please R &R! _

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

"And the winners of this game is the Silver Team!"

The camp groaned collectively. Isaac was the first to respond.

"That was totally unfair!" Isaac said, rubbing his neck. "You hid your flag really good and had _two_ people defending. How the hell did you win?!" Clarisse slapped the back of his head.

"Language." She cleared the throat. "How the hell did you win!?" Alyx laughed as she pulled off her hood and mask. She kept her headband on, her bangs pushed back to stay out of her eyes. With the silver band, the black clothes, the hood and the sharp, wise silver eyes, she reminded them of Artemis, but with tan skin.

Alyx stretched.

"I'm going to bed. See you guys in the morning."

"Wait, what about the campfire and singalong?" Carlos asked. She rubbed her neck.

"Well, I'm tired, Rei probably is hungry… I'll see you at sword training class in the morning." She waved and headed to the cabin.

"Something's wrong." Bianca said. The camp nodded.

"Should I talk to her?" Hank asked.

"No." Percy replied, watching his daughter's form disappear. "Let her think."

* * *

Alyx shut the door quietly and flicked on the light, pulling off her boots slowly and putting them on the rack. The lump on Rei's bed shifted before his head popped out, his ears folding back as he squinted.

"Highness?" She smiled and discarded her jacket, walking over and scratching his ears. He purred.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I-I feel okay…" He shifted and sat up. "W-Will found some medicine that managed to suppress it. I managed to get some water down…" He scratched his neck.

"Is this your first?" He nodded sadly, but perked up.

"Did you win?" Alyx laughed and nodded.

"Oh, big time." She sighed. "I'm going to take a shower, okay?" He nodded. Alyx got some clothes and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door and pressing her back against it, taking a breath.

It wasn't like she was trying to avoid them on purpose, yet… That's exactly what she was doing. Every time she looked at her friends, she felt guilt swell up in her chest. What she did to them didn't seem forgivable and yet they had forgiven her, but in the same aspect, she felt like she couldn't take the forgiveness because of how many awful things she has done.

Alyx sighed and stepped into the water.

* * *

 _Everything seemed like a blur. The strange people moving around, the binds on her wrists, ankles and chest, the strange equipment._

 _"W-What's going on?" She asked, moaning her head around. "What's going on?" But no one answered her._

 _Then the table she was laying on moved, lifting up so she was practically standing. She looked around move, her grey eyes moving rapidly._

 _The double doors opened from across the room, the people stopping and getting on their knees. A woman stepped in, clothed in black cloths, a mask over her face. Her eyes were the only thing that showed._

 _"W-Who are you?" Wrinkles appeared on the woman's face, indicating she was smiling. She lifted her hands, beginning to mutter as black lightning flickered on her hands. The lightning shot at her, dancing around her body._

 _Alyx Jackson shrieked._

"No!" Alyx shot upright, panting hard, sweat dripping form her forehead. Rei quickly popped out of his blankets and looked around rapidly, his tail fluffed up and his ears all perky. The door burst opened and her parents were there, her mother holding a pan and her dad holding a sword.

"What's going on?" Her mom asked, running over. She set down the pan and then cupped Alyx's face, wiping the tears on her face. Alyx sobbed, gripping her wrists tightly and trembling.

"Oh, sweetie, what happened?" Her dad asked.

"I-I had a nightmare." Alyx replied. "I-I-I was in this room a-and these people were running all these tests a-and t-then this woman came in and started hitting me with black lightning." She buried her face into her mom's shirt, sobbing and shaking.

"Y-You… You were experimented on?" Rei asked in horror. Alyx hiccupped and nodded.

"Y-You didn't know…?"

"I-I had no idea!" Rei replied. "I-I must've been still forming…" Her mom stroked her hair comfortingly.

"Shh… Just breathe, baby…"

"Try and get a bit more sleep, okay?" Her dad said, stroking her cheek. She nodded a bit and her mom slowly laid her back down, kissing her forehead. She sniffled and snuggled against her pillow.

Before Alyx shut her eyes, she heard her dad tell Rei:

"Watch her, okay?"

"A-Anything for Highness's father!" Rei replied. Her dad smiled and scratched the back of Rei's ears, making him purr and wag his tail rapidly.

* * *

Fiona banged the tip of her sword on the ground, quieting the arena and causing the recruits to stiffen their posture. The others sat in the stands, watching like hungry and smug vultures at Carlos and Liam. Her parents watched curiously. Rei sat by Hank, already better with the medicine Will had found. Alyx was nowhere to be seen.

"Listen here, you newbies. I will be your instructor for today. I will be teaching you proper hold, stance and attack." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alyx lean against the wall, her arms crossed. She looked tired, dressed in a Camp Half-Blood shirt, black jeans and simple Converse instead of her boots.

"Okay, you!" She pointed at Carlos, who stiffened and slightly squeaked. "Come forward." He obeyed and quickly walked up, summoning his sword.

"Attack me." Fiona said. Carlos blinked, looking to the others, a bit unsure, before taking a breath and lifting his sword.

Carlos had a good stance, probably from Alyx's teaching skills. His posture was a bit off, his hands shaking a bit with the way he was holding his sword. He took a slight step forward before taking off in a sprint at her, raising his sword. He brought it down, about to slash her side when she quickly blocked, making his eyes widen and falter. She took her chance and slapped his sword out of his hand, making it fly to Alyx, landing in front of her feet, but they didn't notice.

"You have good posture and stance, but you falter and need a slight straighten with your posture." He scratched his neck.

Someone cleared their throat. They turned their heads to see Alyx wrapping her hand around his sword, pulling it out of the ground with one swift movement.

"Mind if I give him a couple of pointers?" She asked. Fiona glanced at Chiron before nodding, stepping back a few feet. Alyx walked up, handing his sword back, then pressed her hand against his naval, making him squeak and stiffen. She gently took his hands and gave the right pose, whispering something in his ear. When his arms fell a bit, she slid her fingers down them and then touched his body gently, fixing some spots on his posture.

Then she stepped back, standing next to Liam.

"Now go." She said. Fiona shrugged and stepped forward, holding her sword up. They stared at each other, his eyes analyzing her body carefully. Carlos launched at her, his speed rather fast. He swiped so fast she couldn't keep up with him, and he knocked her sword out of her hand.

Holy Hades, that was hot.

His blue eyes were sharp and brilliantly intelligent, making her heart thump against her chest hard.

The arena was silent, before heads collectively turned to a very smug looking Alyx. She smirked.

"And that is how you teach."

* * *

Since it was Saturday, the normal activities went on. Fiona watched Alyx help the young kids with archery and their shield classes. The way she spoke softly and encouraged them if they missed their target or got knocked down was rather relaxing.

But something was off.

Her eyes seemed dim, her movements were a bit weirdly off and she didn't seem as perky and happy as she was yesterday. Not to mention she wouldn't look Fiona in the eyes.

"You notice it, too?" Fiona looked up to see Chiron watching her shoot an arrow, hitting a bullseye, making the students squeal. She nodded and crossed her arms.

"Is she alright?" Fiona asked.

"When she is distressed, she comes to me for advice. But lately…" Fiona nodded.

"Our group is really worried about her. Hank was crying quietly because of how cold she was treating him." Chiron frowned.

"Perhaps I will talk with her parents."

* * *

Fiona was walking to the Mess Hall for a snack when she passed the Big House, hearing talking. She stopped and narrowed her eyes, slowly stepping up the steps and peeking into the window. Percy and Annabeth sat in front of Mr. D and Chiron, the two explaining something.

"-And she had a weird dream." Percy said.

"Nightmare." Annabeth corrected. "She dreamt about someone shooting black lightning at her and said that someone was experimenting on her." Mr. D's eyes narrowed. "She hasn't had any nightmares until now."

"Well, Leo's invention has been stopping any sort of dream from entering." Chiron said. "But… There is magic that can overpower it."

"What kind?"

"It's only available to the gods of dark magic, like the goddesses of Tartarus and Hecate. But others can learn it." It was quiet for a moment before Percy spoke.

"Would you do a mind search on Alyx?" Mr. D narrowed his eyes and set his cards down.

"For what?"

"I have to know what happened to her during her time in Tartarus and when she was kidnapped. I try to forget Tartarus but it lurks, and I know it's going to do the same to her. Please, Dionysus."

Mr. D stared before sighing deeply.

"Fine."

* * *

Fiona followed Percy around, watching him ask people where Alyx was at, but no one knew. When he asked Rei, he didn't know. He shrugged and commented that she might be taking a nap.

"I already checked her room though." Percy said.

"Maybe on the beach?" Rei suggested. Percy rubbed his cheek before spotting Carlos and Liam.

"Carlos! Liam!" They looked over and walked over at his wave.

"What's up?" Liam asked.

"Have you seen Alyx?" Carlos thought.

"I saw her heading into the woods and asked her where she was going, and she said she was going for a walk." Carlos said. "Last time I saw her."

"Tell Chiron to send out search parties. I don't care if she's taking a nap or whatever, I need to find her."

* * *

And find her they did.

Laying on the ground, her hair sprawled out, Kampê over her, her tail wrapped around her protectively. Her fingers stroked Alyx's cheek. Everyone froze, reaching to grab their weapons when the monster spoke.

"What a beautiful girl…"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

_Hope you all like this chapter. Please R &R! _

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

"Step away from my daughter." Percy hissed, gripping his sword tightly. Kampê narrowed her snake like eyes, her hair hissing at him. She brought her closer to her body, Alyx letting out a small moan in reply. Liam reached for an arrow, his eyes scanning for her weak spots. Everyone surrounded the area, their bows drawn, their swords ready, and their attention focused on her. The medics hung behind, ready to scoop Alyx if they engaged. The monster didn't notice, turning her attention back to Alyx.

Then again, she didn't seem harmed. Her hair was sprawled out beneath her, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks softly, and she breathed through her mouth a bit. Her shirt was pulled up a bit, showing the end of her scars on her back. Her shoes were missing.

Kampê purred lowly like an lion, her fingers gentle as she glided them over Alyx's forehead, pushing her bangs back.

"What an amazing power and mind… It's almost just as I heard…"

"And what did you hear exactly?" Annabeth asked coldly, gripping her dagger and shield tightly. Kampê stared at them blankly and pulled Alyx closer to her.

"Her mind is being consumed by the power she wields. She also has two types of blood running through her, and if she leans toward the dark side, the dark side will consume her mind."

"Now that is some Star Wars storyline crap." Carlos said. The monster blinked.

"What is Star Wars?" Carlos opened his mouth and then shook his head.

"Never mind." The monster hissed at Fiona when she tried to approach, making her step back.

"I will be taking her now." Kampê said and lifted Alyx into her arms, her wings stretching out.

From somewhere to Percy's left, he heard:

"Fire."

Flaming arrows launched into the air, slamming into the monster and causing her to shriek. She dropped Alyx and covered her face with her wings, trying to protect herself from the arrows. She stepped back and stepped into a net, which triggered something and made her go up in a net trap. The medics immediately went in, grabbing Alyx and taking her away. The campers stepped up, Percy pointing his sword at her, his eyes fiery.

"Kill her."

* * *

A moan slipped through pale lips as dark grey eyes opened. Wisps of black hair fell into her face, and she slowly sat up, her arms trembling. They suddenly gave out and made her fall back, her breathing increasing and turning into pants. Her body burned and ached, making it feel like she had been slammed into a wall. The room spun, making her dizzy. Her heart pounded against her chest, making it feel like it would pop out of her chest. She hiccupped, gripping the sheets tightly.

Gods, what happened?

She remembered walking through the forest to get some fresh air and to have some peace, and then came across the remains of Zeus' fist. She had stared at it before the ground begin to shake and then Kampê burst out from the rubble. Sure, she had encountered a lot of monsters, but she'd never met the jailer before. She panicked and went into shock, and then passed out she guessed.

Slowly, she laid back down, her heart slowing with the breaths. She was beginning to fall back into darkness when the door opened. Her eyes shut as a cool and gentle hand laid on her cheek, people calling her name but they sounded like shouts in the distance.

Alyx fell back into a deep slumber.

* * *

It'd been two days since the incident with Kampê and Alyx was still in a deep coma. Will and Gray said that they didn't know what happened, and how long she could be asleep for, but they had hopes. Tests were still running and the camp was getting agitated.

Hank sighed, watching Liam and Carlos exit the infirmary, most likely coming out from seeing Alyx. They looked worried, but Hank had his doubts. He still didn't completely trust them, even if they had travelled together. He missed her, the old her, before she had went to Tartarus. He missed the sarcastic, perky, annoying to the point she got kicked out of class, full of energy and spark Alyx.

But he had to accept it. People change, and he had to change his thinking. Alyx changed, and she was now a demigod veteran who had gone through Tartarus, faced multiple challenges down there and after a brief return, was kidnapped and brainwashed like Percy and dumped in San Francisco, where she met Carlos and Liam.

"What are you doing?" Hank jumped to the side, seeing Fiona there, her eyebrow raised.

"Uh…" He replied stupidly.

"Stop spying on Liam and Carlos." Fiona said. Hank stuck out his tongue, crossing his arms and looking away. "Why are you spying on them?"

"I don't know…" Hank said, shrugging. "I guess… I just don't trust them fully." Fiona raised her eyebrows.

"Seriously?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't." He watched them sit on the hill, laughing. He narrowed his eyes.

"Hank." He looked at his sister, her eyes stern and disapproving. "You have to get over it. Alyx has changed, and we need to support her. She made new friends and is now in a coma currently. We need to support her with our every being."

Hank looked down guiltily.

* * *

Fiona found Carlos in the arena, working on his stances and sword holds. He was mumbling to himself, and he went over to the seats and picking up a shield, practicing the block and attack technique that Alyx had created. She carefully watched him, leaning against the wall, waiting for him to notice her.

Fiona could tell he had been the type to be very self-conscious and secluded, but now that Alyx was in his life, he wasn't like that anymore. He was short, probably around 5'6 or so, but his body was obviously getting muscular and he also had quite the body. He wore tight jeans that hugged his lower body, showing off his butt, thighs and calves. His shirt was loose but at the same time clung to his body. Man, he had a nice body…

Carlos dropped his sword and bent down.

"Stupid Akira." He muttered. "Stupid demigodness… Stupid…" He threw his dagger at the target, hitting the bullseye with ease. Fiona raised her eyebrow.

"Everything okay?" She asked, causing him to jump and turn around. He looked around nervously.

"Uh… Fine…" He replied, setting the shield and sword on the bench. He went to the target and pulled the dagger out, wiping off any dust or splinters. Fiona glanced around and walked up.

"Can I… Give some pointers?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I think you've done that already."

Ouch.

Fiona sweated.

"Look, I did that because I was teaching. I didn't mean to come off as-"

"Harsh, rude, mean, sarcastic…" He looked at her blankly. "Shall I go on?" Fiona looked down.

"I'm sorry." His eyebrows rose.

"Hm?"

"I said I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that. I was… Confused and upset." His blue eyes stared into her brown eyes, making her shift uncomfortably. There was something about him that made her nervous for some reason, but she couldn't figure it out.

Carlos sighed, looking down and rubbing his finger over his dagger.

"I can tell you guys don't like me or Liam for that matter." She opened her mouth but he raised his hand. "I know you guys spent months looking for her when she disappeared. I know you look up to her like a sister, and when she showed up with two strangers, you got suspicious. I don't have complete trust in myself either, but I know I'm going to stick by Alyx's side through this. I'm going to fight Akira with her."

Fiona's heart thumped against her chest.

"I'm Carlos Beckendorf, and I'm going to help Alyx Jackson win this war."

* * *

"Hey, you know what we should do?" Jasper asked. Everyone looked at her.

Alyx was still down in her coma two days later, and everyone was getting agitated. Will said she should wake up soon, but the shock that had probably gotten to her was keeping her mind down from waking up.

"Yes?" Fiona asked, raising her eyebrow as she poked her steak.

"We should write a song and present it to Alyx when she wakes up and regains a little strength." Jasper said. The others looked at each other.

"A song?" Hank asked. "Sure we play instruments but sing? And write a song? That's Alyx's job."

"Hey, I write and sing too." Jasper said. Carlos furrowed his eyebrows.

"But it could be a week before she wakes up." Carlos said.

"You took a whole day to wake up." Liam told him with a blank look.

"From- Oh." Carlos said, before turning red, slapping his arm. Harper narrowed her eyes.

"From what?" She asked.

"Not important." Jasper said, making Carlos release a breath in relief. "I don't doubt that, but we could at least write the song."

"Smart idea, sis." Phillip said, making her grin.

Lyra ran up, a bright look on her face. She was literally buzzing with excitement.

"Alyx is awake!"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

_Hope you all like this chapter. Please R &R! _

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

"I-I can walk myself, guys." Alyx said as Liam and Carlos led her to the campfire area.

It'd been about four days since she woke up, and each day she was regaining strength, but a lot of people were avoiding her to keep the secret party from her. Thankfully she was oblivious, but she was also getting suspicious. The whole camp was in on it, even her parents, but no one elaborated when she asked about the tent by the campfire area.

"We know." Carlos said, smiling at her curious face. Alyx fixed her shorts, then crossed her arms, raising her eyebrow.

"So, what have you guys been hiding from me?" She asked. Both boys laughed awkwardly, their blue eyes looking around nervously. Carlos extended his hands as if he was telling a dog to sit.

"Just sit tight." And they ran off, making Alyx tilt her head curiously.

Alyx slumped, looking around. There was no one around, and the whole camp was quiet. Not even the twins were around. Why were they avoiding her? She had just woken up, and now they were avoiding her. Whatever the reason, she really hoped it was a good reason. At least it gave her time to think. Like think about the next action, Akira, her camp… She had to come up with a plan.

Music begin to play, making her look around, wondering where it was coming from. The tent that was in front of her opened up to reveal a stage, all of her friends on it, playing their respective instruments. They all wore black and silver, like the colors of her hair and eyes. Even Leon, whose hair was always a mess, was nicely combed with a headband on her head.

 _I close both locks below the window  
I close both blinds and turn away_

 _Sometimes solutions aren't so simple  
Sometimes goodbye's the only way_

 _And the sun will set for you  
The sun will set for you_

 _And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey_

 _And the sun will set for you_

Something was set on her head, making her look up to see her mother and father, smiling down on her. Alyx lifted her hand and felt the laurel wreath, a shaky smile appearing as two lines of people begin to come out. The ground opened up and the Apollo cabin was on a platform, all of them wearing black and silver. Come to think of it, everyone in camp was wearing black and silver. _This is for me?_

 _In cards and flowers on your window  
Your friends all plead for you to stay_

 _Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple  
Sometimes goodbye's the only way_

 _And the sun will set for you  
The sun will set for you_

 _And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey_

 _And the sun will set for you_

 _And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey_

 _And the sun will set for you_

 _And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey_

 _And the sun will set for you_

The Apollo cabin lifted their hands up to the sky just as fireworks happened, different colors and shapes, and a chariot flew by, something sprinkling down on them.

"We love you, Alyx."

Alyx couldn't help but laugh and cry as her parents hugged her, everyone else getting in with the group hug.

* * *

Alyx hummed the song as she polished a sword.

After a delicious lunch, she happily went to the arena to polish the weapons rack before the training class. Since Chiron put her on probation from doing anything that involved strength or exerting her body, so she took side jobs. Cleaning the amphitheater, doing dishes in the kitchen, cleaning the weapons, setting up targets and dummies for classes and other types of areas. Her spirits had been lifted, with everyone taking care of her and being concerned, unlike when she had come back and everyone was avoiding her. And then going into that coma for that short time after she saw the Jailer.

"Boo." Alyx jumped up, holding the sword up, her body stiff.

Thalia laughed, pointing at her face. Alyx relaxed, and lowered her sword, releasing a relieved sigh. Thalia calmed down and extended her arms, making Alyx happily run into her arms.

They hugged for a little bit before Alyx spoke.

"Liam's worried about you." Alyx said, pulling away a bit. Thalia chuckled.

"He's twenty-three years old and he's still worrying about his dear old mother?" Thalia said, watching Alyx walk over to the sword she dropped.

"How did the talk with Artemis go? I assume good, since you're standing in one piece but I don't want to jump to conclusions." Thalia crossed her arms and watched Alyx slide the rag over the sword, causing it to shine in the light and then slide it into the rack, the sound making her shiver.

"She's mad, but I managed to keep Liam alive." Thalia replied. Alyx shook her head as she pulled out another sword, sitting down and picking up the sharpening stone. Thalia climbed over and sat next to her to watch. It was silent for a minute before Alyx spoke up.

"How did Liam happen anyway?" Thalia chuckled a bit, putting her chin in her hand.

"It was before Kronos took total control of Luke's body." Thalia said, staring at the dummy set up. "We did it a couple of times, once protected and once unprotected. About two months after the war with Kronos, I found out I was pregnant. I managed to hide it for a couple of months, but then once I got big, I had to tell Artemis that I was taking a leave of absence for a while. She allowed and I left for a few months. I only told one person: Phoebe. She helped me a lot, took care of me, and helped with the birth. After Phoebe's death though, I didn't know what to do… I thought about telling Jason and Percy, but I couldn't bring myself to risk Liam's life like that. So I moved to Banff, where I met an older woman with a few boys of her own. She helped me until she passed away when Liam was fifteen." Thalia wrung her hands together, suddenly looking older, like the immortality was flickering away.

"He grew up only knowing of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, his father's name, and of all the legends in the camps. I should've brought him here sooner." Alyx patted her back.

"It's not your fault. Liam is fitting in great here, and now that you're back, you can tell everyone." Alyx slid the rag on the blade and stood up, sliding it into its sheath.

"Alyx?" She looked over at Thalia to see her blue eyes concerned.

"Yes?"

"Is… Is Liam alright?" They stared at each other before Alyx smiled.

"Liam's great. He's happy, he's made quite a few new friends and he's already helping with the chores of the camp." Thalia let out a small sigh, nodding.

"Thank you, Alyx."

* * *

Liam smiled as Pearl held up her drawing of the Camp Jupiter and Half-Blood flags, a grin on her face.

"That's really good, Pearl! You're an artist!" Liam told her. She giggled.

"Thank you!" Carlos chuckled from the other side of the table, handing Ashe a template as she drew and worked furiously.

"Once elementary school started teaching her art classes, the talent popped out, huh?" Pearl nodded in agreement.

"I've been drawing since I could write so I really want to become a published artist when I grow up." She said. "It'd be my dream."

"Then you should meet Rachel." He turned to see Alyx standing there, her hands in her back pockets.

"Who's Rachel?" Pearl and Carlos asked in sync.

"She's our Oracle, or prophecy giver. She's an amazing artist." Pearl's eyes widened and she grinned happily.

"Cool!" Ashe and the other girls grabbed Pearl's hand.

"We'll show you some of her artwork. Come on!" They ran off.

"Don't forget to turn your artwork in to Chiron!" Alyx called after them.

"Did you already finish the swords?" Liam asked as he stood up. Carlos walked around the table and smiled at her.

"Yeah. It was easy." Alyx replied, gently cupping Carlos's face and rubbing a small freckle on his face.

"Aunt Thalia!" They all looked to see Jasper and Phillip hugging Thalia. Liam felt relief flood through is body and his body visibly relaxed.

"Oh, thank the gods…" Liam whispered. Alyx patted his arm.

"She's okay." Alyx whispered gently. He nodded a tiny bit. Thalia lifted her head and saw him, giving him a wink, which meant a signal.

"Mom!" Everyone who was welcoming her stopped short and looked at him with wide eyes. He didn't care. He really, really didn't care. He ran toward her and Jasper and Phillip parted.

"Hey, you!" She said. He ran into her arms, and they sunk to the ground, his body shaking as he started to cry.

"I-I missed you… I-I thought you I-I thought Artemis…" Her fingers were so gentle, thin, soft and warm… They threaded through his hair, her other hand rubbing his back comfortingly.

* * *

"You had a baby and you didn't tell me?!" Jason yelled from inside the cabin.

Liam chewed his fingernails, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Because I didn't want to risk his life, Jason!" Liam buried his face into his knees.

The others were kind enough to wait outside with him while the Seven and Chiron spoke with his mother. Alyx and Carlos sat next to him in support, playing cards while all of the others paced around. Jasper and Phillip stared at him with unmoving eyes, clearly disturbed by the fact they were cousins.

"How long have you two known?" Hank asked Alyx. Alyx moved a couple of chips toward her, causing Carlos to pout. She tapped her chin.

"Eh… The day I got my memory back, so… The day we came back to camp." Alyx replied nonchalantly.

"Are you serious?" The others said.

"Hey, we had our suspicions throughout the journey." Carlos defended. "It was only until Alyx got her memory back when we shared all of our identities."

"So, wait, you mean to tell us that you knew Charles and Silena were alive but didn't tell us?" Jasper asked. Alyx nodded.

"Pretty much." She replied.

"Why!?"

"Hey, I just figured it out when I got my memory back! We all said our full names and then we came here to fight that giant snake! Don't blame me. Besides, I don't rat out my friends." Alyx said. Jasper and Fiona stuck out their tongues at her, and she replied with the same thing. If not for the situation, Liam would've laughed, but right now he was only focused on his mom.

The door opened and Thalia stepped out.

"Now, how has my baby boy been doing?"

* * *

Hank knocked on Alyx's door, reciting what he was going to say to her in his mind.

"Come in!" Hank took a breath before opening the door to see her lying on her bed, Daedalus' laptop on her lap. She sucked on a blue Jolly Rancher, a water bottle on her nightstand with multiple wrappers next to it, and her lips were light blue. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was dressed in a tank top and shorts.

"Hi." He said. She perked up and put aside the laptop and sat up.

"Hey!"

"Is Rei here?" She shook her head.

"No, he's staying in the infirmary. His heat him hard again."

"Oh." Hank stepped in and shut the door. Alyx tilted her head.

"What's up, handsome?" He chuckled and sat on the edge of her bed. Alyx happily crawled over to sit next to him.

"Just came to see how you're doing." She stared at him with those beautiful veteran gray eyes, and he almost shivered.

"Just to see me?" She asked, her eyebrow rising. "Hank, what's wrong?" Hank took a breath, slipping his hand in hers, lifting it up and kissing the back of her hand. The trident was like the one on her back, and the little seashell tattoo on her ankle showed when she moved her legs.

"How's your hand?" She asked softly.

"It's good. Will said it regained full function. You barely nicked nerves, so…" He flexed his hand, making her smile.

"Good… Sorry, you were kind of choking Liam." She said.

"Yeah, I still need to apologize to him." Hank chuckled. Alyx shook her head with exasperation, and then laid her head on his shoulder.

"I've missed you…" She whispered after a long moment of silence. He laid back, bringing her down.

"I've missed you too." Alyx cupped his cheek, stroking his face gently, her eyes flicking around his face. Her hands were warm and gentle, her fingers thin and long, slender and elegant, but the same hands that beat up people and held Riptide that slaughtered through all sorts of different monsters. Hank nuzzled his face into her hand, making her smile. Alyx slowly moved forward, gently kissing his lips. Hank replied, kissing back softly, and they held for a few minutes, before Hank rolled her over, making her stretch her arms out to wrap around his neck. Hank's hips rubbed against hers, making her shiver. His lips moved down to her neck, making her grip his shoulders.

"This is bad." He murmured breathily against her neck.

"Uh huh." Hank nipped her ear, the taste of metal feeling his mouth. He moved back, seeing her earrings, and shrugged.

"We are so bad."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

_Hope you all like this chapter. Please R &R! _

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

"Alright, class, line up, swords in hands." Alyx said. The class obeyed, grabbing their swords and lining up.

The group sat in the stands, a few people here and there, but mostly her friends. Gray was leaning against Ryan, looking miserable, but he looked like he was trying to push through the swollen ankles and the feeling of about to pop. Sure, everyone had their jobs to do but they had to watch this.

"I will be teaching the class today on how to properly hold and balance your sword. By now, you should know that you need to have a trusty sword, something that will be by your side, on your hip at all times." Alyx held up Riptide. "Like Riptide and I. Riptide was passed on from Hercules to my father and then to me." A student raised their hand.

"What if our sword breaks?" Alyx looked at Leo and Charles, who shrugged.

"That's unlikely, unless you're stabbing the wall." The class giggled. "Now, straighten your backs."

* * *

"Your posture is weak, Lisa." Alyx told one of the students. Lisa sighed, putting down her sword tiredly.

"I'm sorry, Miss Jackson. I'm not very good with a sword. I'm better at far range than close range." Lisa said. Alyx raised her eyebrow, looking around before looking at her again, analyzing her build. Lisa was right, she was better for far range because she was an hourglass build, better for protecting and cover fire than on the field of battle.

"So you like archery better?" Lisa nodded. Alyx hummed quietly.

"Well, it's always good to have a dagger on you as well in case your cover gets blown and you have to fight close ranged." Carlos peaked over her shoulder, his blue eyes wide.

"Is that why you have so many knives and weapons?" He asked innocently. "Because your cover might be blown?" Alyx narrowed her eyes and turned to swipe at him, but he ducked and ran away.

"Absolute twerp!" He grinned at her and disappeared from sight. Alyx shook her head, turning back to Lisa.

"Let's get you fitted for an archery glove and bow. How long have you been doing archery?"

"Since I could walk and lift my arms." Lisa chuckled. "My dad is a world class archer, would've gone to the Olympics but then I showed up on his doorstep."

"And your godly parent is Apollo, right?" Lisa nodded. "Hm, I see… No wonder your dad caught Apollo's eye." Lisa blushed and smiled as Alyx opened the cabinet. Ahe shifted through the bins, trying to find something that would fit her hand. Then she pulled out a black leather glove, examining it. It was fresh, outlined with gold like her hair and hopefully it would fit.

"Let me see your hand." Lisa lifted her right hand and Alyx slipped it on, adjusting it to her fit.

"How's that feel?"

"Perfect." Lisa said, stretching her hand couple of times.

"Good, let's go get you a bow."

* * *

Reyna and Frank were supposed to duel, as a little weight lifter from everything happening. People were gathering in the stands and Alyx smiled when she saw her friends laughing with Carlos and Liam. She was relieved that they were finally talking with them, after giving them glares and steering themselves away for the longest time. Harper was talking with Silena and Piper, and Percy and Charles were in a very deep conversation.

Alyx stood in one of the entrances, watching people file in, laughing and sitting down. The atmosphere was peaceful, the chatter relaxing her immensely. She loved it. As much as she loved the quiet, she loved people's voices. It made her feel alive and real, totally opposite of what she felt when she was in Tartarus.

"Alyx?" At the sound of her name, Alyx turned her head to see Leon standing there, holding her phone.

"Hey, Leon." Alyx greeted. "What's up?"

"Have you talked to Scott at all?" Leon asked.

"Hmm… I talked to him the night before the 25th of May. Had a few voicemails when I woke up from my coma but I haven't heard from him since. Why?" Leon fidgeted with her phone.

"I haven't heard from Jay in a few weeks." Alyx furrowed her eyebrows, giving a small sound in her throat.

"Weird… I'm sure they're both fine." Alyx said. "When I last spoke to Scott, he was wrapping up things at home and packing for their move, so… And I'm sure Jay is finishing everything in Houston." Alyx laid her hand on Leon's shoulder.

"I'm sure they're fine." Leon smiled and hugged her before disappearing up the stairs. Alyx smiled and put her hands in her back pockets, walking to the entrance, watching as some people set up some obstacle courses. Her eyebrows furrowed. Why were they setting up obstacle courses when it was going to be a duel? Unless they were going to do like a competition or something, Alyx didn't see the reason behind it.

"Hey, how come you're not in your armor yet?" Alyx turned to see Thalia and Jason, Jason stiffening and hitting Thalia's arm.

"Ow!" He whispered something to her and she closed her mouth.

"My armor?" Alyx asked. "What do you mean?"

"Alyx." She turned around to see Chiron holding her dagger and a box.

"Are you ready to battle?"

Alyx squeaked when her chest armor was tightened and she turned to glare at the blacksmith, making him smile awkwardly and loosen it. She was dressed in combat boots, black jeans, a Camp Half-Blood shirt and light chest armor. After Will had examined her she was being fitted for training armor, yet she still had no idea what the heck was happening.

Chiron stepped in as she was being measured for a belt, but Alyx waved at her.

"I have Riptide."

"Actually, you won't have Riptide." Alyx turned to Chiron, her eyes wide.

"Excuse me?!"

"This is a training exercise. To pit you against multiple experienced warriors who have different powers without relying on your sword or weapons. You will use your own methods, like your fists and smarts to win."

Alyx's eye twitched, but she resisted yelling.

"And who am I being pitted up against?" She asked sourly.

"Us." She turned to see Reyna standing with her parents, Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, Hazel, Nico and Thalia. And all of them were dressed up in armor.

Alyx stared at them with a twitching eye.

"Are you freaking kidding me? You're expecting me to go up against legendary demigods who are veterans, with just a shield and my brain!?" Alyx yelped, turning around on her heels. "I can't fight them!"

"Alyx." Piper said gently and smoothly. Alyx glared at her; she knew that Piper was trying to charmspeak her.

"Don't you freaking dare use charmspeak on me. I am immune." Alyx hissed. "I am not doing this." She immediately begin to unbuckle the straps.

"Alyx, this is to test your power at the moment. We are seeing more sightings of monsters lately, and we know it's because of Akira. Because of your coma, the sightings have hiked. We want to test your brainpower and normal skills. Even if you have Riptide on you, what happens if you come hand to hand with Akira?"

"I'd beat him up." Alyx replied.

"And that is how I know she is my daughter." Her mom said, slipping her hand into Alyx's. "This is just a test, honey. It'll be over before you know it."

"But I don't want to hurt you." She said.

"You're not going to hurt me." Her mom chuckled, patting her armor. "I have this."

Alyx slumped, looking at Chiron blankly.

"You all are sick." Chiron smiled and held out his hand.

"Please give me Riptide."

"What?" Alyx said. "You… You know it returns to my pocket, right?"

"That's why we made this." They turned to see Calypso, holding up a clear box. "This is a magic sealed box, keeping the magic that causes Riptide to return in your pocket sealed. Your goal for this test is to get this back."

"Are you ready?"

Alyx groaned, pulling on her helmet.

"Let's just get this thing over with." The others went ahead, but Thalia hung back.

"Hey, I made you something." She handed Alyx a box, making her open it. Inside was a black watch, with the correct time and everything. Instead of just one knob there were four, two on each side.

"What's this?"

"It's for you. These two are to set the time, and these two… Press the top." Alyx obeyed, pressing the top button.

To her surprise and shock, a shield popped out. A beautiful silver shield with elegant engravings, a trident in the middle and nice and smooth…

"W-What is this?" Alyx asked.

"This is for you. Since you're only allowed a shield, I figured this would be better than the other shields. And it had been in production for a while anyway." Thalia grinned at her awestruck face. "And it detaches so you can throw it and everything."

"So I'm going to be Captain America."

"Eh, more like Bucky." Thalia patted her shoulder. "You're going to do great out there." Alyx sighed, pressing the button and watching it disappear.

"I hope."

* * *

"Welcome! Welcome!" The crowd cheered at the sound of Dionysus announcing. She could hear her name being chanted but she was trying to cancel it out.

Alyx looked at the helmet, sighing loudly.

"Hey." She turned to see Isaac. She gave him a nod and fiddled with the helmet's sides, her eyes misty. She swallowed heavily, releasing a shaky breath.

"You alright?"

"Oh, yeah, you know, the last time I was in an arena I almost died, so."

"Oh. Right." Isaac winced. "At least it's up against people you know. They're not going to try to kill you, just to test you." Alyx stared at him with a blank look.

"Sure, I would rather be in Tartarus then here, but sure, okay." Alyx sighed. "They're veterans, Isaac. I can't do this."

"Hey, you're the daughter of Percy Jackson. You're gonna do amazing." Alyx smiled a bit.

"Can you tell me something to distract me from this stuff?" Isaac thought for a moment.

"I was thinking of joining the army. After this is all over. When Akira is gone and the world is at peace for a moment." Alyx looked at him in shock.

"You want to join the army?" Isaac nodded.

"I haven't told my parents yet." He said. "I really do want to join the army. What do you think?" Alyx laughed.

"What do I think? You're an Ares descendant. You'll do fine in the army." Isaac smiled.

"What do you want to do after this is all over?"

"Well, if I live through this, then… I don't know. Maybe travel?" Alyx smiled a bit. "I want to spend time with everyone, after I've been gone so long, you know?" Isaac looked around before pulling her into a hug, causing Alyx's eyes to widen. But Isaac was warm and soft, which was unusual because of his hard abs. She could feel his pecs through his shirt, but nothing compared to Hank. She slowly wrapped her arms around him, her lip trembling.

"I'm scared, Isaac." He rubbed her back.

"You're going to do amazing. Just believe in yourself." He lifted his hands and wiped the tears that had appeared in her eyes.

"Thanks…"

"Now, get out there and show them what you can do." Alyx laughed, pulling on her helmet and walked up to the entrance.

"And now, please welcome, Alyx Jackson!" Alyx took a deep breath and stepped out, nearly grimacing at the cheers and bright light. She flashed back to the Gladiator Games, the horrible images coming to her mind. She looked up, squinting at the bright light before looking around.

The arena had been set up as almost an obstacle course. Her parents and the others were on top of small mountains, not hills but looked like cliffs of a mountain. They held their weapons as though they were bosses in a video game and each person was a level. And the final level was her father.

Alyx took a breath, activating the shield and taking a defensive position.

 _Please don't let me die._

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


End file.
